Realm of Dreams
by Earth Gods Lyric
Summary: In the realm of dreams, anything can happen. When young Link begins to have nightmares about his presumed doppelganger, all Hell breaks loose. My first story with multiple chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"…_Who are you?"_

_ "Are you serious? I'm you! Heh heh, it's like looking into a mirror, isn't it?"_

_ "You can't be me! We look nothing alike!"_

_ "You're kinda dense, aren't you? Look at yourself. We might have different clothes, different hair color, but we're one and the same, doppelgangers of each other."_

_ "…Doppelganger?"_

_ "Yes. Speaking of doppelgangers, do you know what happens when they meet?"_

_ "What?"_

"_One has to rid the world of the other to keep the balance of the space-time continuum."_

"_I don't get it."_

"_Ugh, let me spell it out for you. One of us has to kill the other to ensure balance in the world."_

_ "So I have to kill you, huh?"_

_ "No, I have to kill _you_. Now stand still for a minute."_

"Agh!" The boy shot up from the bed, coated in a cold sweat. He was breathing heavily, the anxiety of his nightmare not leaving anytime soon. He gripped the blankets around him and willed himself to calm down. When his breathing slowed, he looked outside. The view of the sea was always comforting to him. _It was just a dream, Link. Nothing more. _He thought to himself. _That's funny, Linebeck is already up. He's usually the late sleeper! _Link turned around and reached for a small leather-bound book and pen on the nightstand beside the bed.

_August 10__th_

_ I had a very strange dream last night. It featured a boy that seemed to be a darker version of me, set out on killing me. I'm scared. Not the kind of terror I would feel during a big fight, but something more. In fact, it's been this dream for a few days now, always ending the same, cutting right before the boy attacks me. Why haven't I told anyone yet? I need to settle this and speak with someone about this._

Link, finished with his writing, placed the book and pen back on the nightstand. He swung his legs over the bed and stood up, cursing the cold of the floor on his feet. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head, hearing a solid crack. He bent over backwards, hearing the same crack again. He rid himself of his night clothes, and opened a closet, taking out his usual garb and placed it on the bed. Link slipped on his under-shirt and tights as he trudged over to a largish mirror. He reached for a small brush and combed his bright blond hair, humming a tune, then set the brush back down. He walked back to the bed and put on his tunic, pulling the belt nice and snug around his waist. He put his hat on and messed with his hair, trying to get it the way he liked. After he dressed himself, he walked out of the bedroom and into the hall that led to a kitchen and privy. His feet still felt cold. _Ack! I forgot my boots!_ Link rushed back into the room and opened the ornate closet, confusion taking over him. _I swear to the Gods, I put them right here, right under my stuff!_ He shut the door and looked under everything, to the shared bed to the chairs. Defeated, he walked out of the room and into the kitchen, noticing an older man sitting at the table, hunched over something.

"Hey, Linebeck. Have you seen my boots? I've been looking everywhere for them."

"Sorry kid, I haven't seen them. Did you look under the bed?"

"Yeah. They weren't there. I know I put them in the closet last night. By the way, what're you doing?" The captain turned his head around and stared at the boy, as if giving him a look-over.

"Fixing something. It's almost done, so wait a sec." He turned back to his work.

"Alright, I'll wait here then." Link sat on the floor, cupping his head in his hands. "Hey, Linebeck?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you about something?"

"Sure. Lay it on me." Link stood up and brushed off his clothes.

"You see, I've been having this weird dream about this guy. He looks like me and he says that I'm his doppelganger or something like that. He told me that he needs to kill me to keep the balance of the world. For once, I'm actually scared of my own dreams!" Link would've usually laughed at this, but after experiencing the dream night after night, he felt more terrified than giddy.

"Huh. Doppelganger, eh? Sounds bad, kid. How long have you been having this dream?"

"The past couple of nights. Nothing is going to happen to me, right? It felt so real."

"The past couple of nights?"

"Yeah… what's wrong, Linebeck? Is anything going to happen to me?" Link's face took a dive into the white paint of fright.

"…I can't be sure of that. As long as you don't see this guy in real life, you're fine."

"So he's real?" Link moved closer to Linebeck, seeking comfort.

"Most likely. Everyone has a doppelganger, but usually they don't see them, due to each being in another dimension. Think of him as your shadow, your dark side. I wouldn't be too scared now, just forget about it. On a side note, I finished what I was working on. Take a look?"

Link moved even closer to the captain and peeked over his shoulder. "My boots! You took them when I was sleeping!" Link exclaimed.

"Well, yes. That was the only time I could fix them up. The bottoms were so worn down; I'm surprised that they didn't fall apart yesterday!" Linebeck chuckled. He stood up and handed the boots to Link.

"Uh, thanks for fixing my stuff for me." He put them on and wiggled his toes inside of them. "They're bigger than I remember."

"I had to make them larger for part of the sole to fit. Are they too big?"

"No, they're more comfy now." He scampered about, getting used to his "new" boots.

"Heh, that's good. Now how do you feel about making some breakfast, eh?"

"Sure! What's the plan for today?" Link giggled, knowing that Linebeck was most likely going to mess up the meal, like every other time he cooked.

"I'm thinking oatmeal and sliced apples. You?" Linebeck drifted over to the cabinets and took out a couple bowls, a pan and a knife, placing them on the counter below.

"Oatmeal sounds good. I'll make it. You can do the fruit." Link went over to Linebeck, taking the bag of oats and dumping some of it into the pan.

"Alright, do whatever you want, kid."

* * *

After breakfast, the two went outside onto the deck. Today was what they called "Break-Day", where there would be no going through dungeons or fighting. This was to make sure that neither of them would get sick from over-exertion, especially Link. He was one to never take a break during a temple, even when Ciela told him to do so. This got him beaten up pretty badly, and made him very ill one too many times. As of now, Ciela was out for a while. Link still wondered where exactly she was, since she was out longer than how long she said she would be. He didn't dwell on it much, though. As a fairy, she came and went as she pleased.

"So, what do you want to do today? We could either just spend the day doing… basically nothing, or buy supplies for you and me." Linebeck seemed to be hinting at doing the shopping part.

"Going out for supplies, I guess. I need to check my stuff before we go, though."

"Alrighty then. Go." Linebeck opened the door to the cabin portion of his ship and let Link through.

"Uh, thanks for opening the door for me." He sprinted through the kitchen and into the hall that led to their bedroom.

"Anytime, kid." Linebeck said, slightly shouting.

Link went into the bedroom and opened the closet. He sat on his knees as he checked his quiver. _Okay, I have ten arrows. I need twenty more._ He checked his bomb bag, bottles, and other things. _So I need twenty arrows, five bombs, and a bottle of either red or purple potion. Let's hope that I have enough Rupees for that! _Link stood up and sped through the cabin and back out onto the deck.

"Well hello there, speedy! So what do you need?"

"Twenty arrows, five bombs, and a bottle of either red or purple potion."

"Better make that potion red, because we're running low on cash." Linebeck pulled out his wallet and began counting. Link did the same.

"I have around a hundred, Linebeck. You?"

"Heh, for once I have more money than you! A hundred and ten." Linebeck laughed, and dropped a few Rupees in the process. "Hold up." He bent down and quickly picked them up. "Sorry about that. So we have two-hundred and ten Rupees. That seems to be about enough."

"Cool. How far are we from the nearest inhabited island?"

"About four hours worth of travel at max speed. I'll be down in the engine room if you need me." Linebeck went past Link, ruffling his hair as he walked. Link smiled. He wandered over to the railing and leaned on it. _At least today is a Break Day. I don't want to fight with so many thoughts buzzing around in my head. _At that thought, his mind crawled back to his dream, remembering the doppelganger and his promise. _What am I going to do? Linebeck said that this guy is real. He might be in another dimension or something, but can he still get to me? If he can send me nightmares, can he speak with me in them, not just "recordings" of the same thing over and over again? Can he do things to my real body when I'm asleep, not just my dream one? Gods, listen to me. I'm a frigging lunatic. Maybe I should lie down for a while. _He pushed himself off of the railing and made his way to the bedroom. He closed the door, removed his boots and placed them beside the bed. Link took off his cap and hung it on one of the twopoles that surrounded the frame of the bed. He climbed in, snuggled deep into the blankets, and drifted to sleep, not realizing that he was to see the figure again.

* * *

A strange fog encircled Link and his surroundings. He looked down and noticed he was standing on water, or maybe perhaps a glass floor with water underneath it. He wandered around, listening to the echoing taps that his feet made whenever he moved.

"Lonely, eh? You won't be for long." Link spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice that echoed like his foot-steps.

"Where are you?"

"I'm right here." The figure of the dream before materialized out of the fog, making not a noise as he slowly crept towards Link. "Missed me?" The figure laughed and put his hands on his hips.

"No, not really. Still, at least this isn't the same thing again. I didn't like hearing you rant on and on about time and space!" Link tried laughing, but was cut off by the figure talking again.

"I don't ramble. I'm telling the truth here." The figure drifted closer to Link, their faces only inches apart. "Someday, when you least expect it, I'm going to be in your world, and nobody will come and save you. I could kill you now, but…" He gripped Link's neck and held it tight, enjoying his gasps for air. "…That wouldn't be as much fun as waiting for you to go completely insane, hm?" He let go and flicked Link in the forehead.

"Ack!"

"Heh heh. See ya 'round!"

"Oh no, you're not leaving that easily! Get back here!" Link screamed, dashing towards his doppelganger. When he reached him, he had already vanished, his laugh echoing throughout the wide room.

* * *

When Link awoke, he wasn't scared. Instead, he was determined to see his clone again. He got out of bed and went to the mirror. To his surprise he could see red marks resembling fingers around his neck. _So he can attack me through dreams. That means I can too! But I need to be careful. I don't think he can get out of my dreams, so all I need to do is be prepared for anything. Wait! What if I sleep with all my weapons on? Maybe I can take them with me into my dreams, and attack from there!_

A knock on the door broke his train of thought.

"Hey Link, We've reached Mercay Island. Get your butt out here!"

"Coming!" Link turned around and ran for the door, already forming a plan of action in his head. _I'm going to beat that thing, I know it. When night comes, I'll be ready._ Link pushed open the door and followed him outside and down to the ground. What lay ahead of him was a dangerous journey into the world of dreams, and he wasn't ready.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright kid, let's get going. We don't have to hurry like always though, we're staying docked here for the night."

"Okay then. What're you getting?"

"Nothing much, just things for the ship. We'll stop at the general store first, and then head to the shipyard."

"Cool." They both walked together, passing the bar and the old woman who complained about it. The sun was bright, and the birds were chirping, just what Link needed to put himself at ease after his confrontation. _Should I tell him about my plans just yet?_ Link thought. He shook his head and kept listening to the birds as they walked.

"…So kid, what were you doing when I came to get you, anyway?" Link slowed down a bit, and looked up at Linebeck.

"I was sleeping. Why?"

"Well, I just wanted to know. You were awfully quiet for a while. Did you have that dream again?"

This time Link halted completely. "No. This time, I was greeted by that monster. I spoke with him, with him telling me that he will someday find me and kill me. Then he choked me, and flicked my head. The scariest part is that when I woke up, I looked in the mirror and saw red marks where his hands were."

"May I see?" Linebeck moved closer to Link as he pulled down his shirt.

"See? Right there." He pointed to the marks, already fading away. Linebeck rubbed his chin, thinking of what to say.

"Those don't look too good. I've never heard of such a thing like this, being attacked on your physical body in a dream!"

"Linebeck, I'm scared. However, I have an idea on how to fight back."

Linebeck almost jumped back. "What's your idea, Link?"

"I figured that if I sleep with my stuff on, like my sword, shield, quiver and the like, maybe they will come with me into my dream. If this guy can leave marks on my physical body once I leave the realm of dreams, then I can take my things with me into it!" Link beamed, thinking his logic was sound.

"That's… that's brilliant! For once, your wild theories are making sense!"

"I'm glad you agree with me! So, what are we going to do tonight? Just let me fall asleep like normal?"

"I think so. However, to ensure your safety, I'm going to keep a close eye on you. If I start to see some really bad injuries, I'm waking you up." Linebeck looked up at the sky, trying to hide his worry. "The thing is Link, I don't want to lose you that easily. I might have to pull an all-nighter, but that's the risk I'm going to take."

Link could feel his face burning and his eyes threatening to tear up. "…Thank-you. Thank-you so much."

"Aw kid, now don't start crying here! All I'm saying is that I've got your back." Link lost it then and there, and pushed himself into the captain's body. Linebeck sighed and wrapped his arms around the boy.

"Link, it's okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Please, stop crying." He placed his hand on Link's head and pulled him in closer, rocking back and forth, a motion that seemed to calm him down whenever he was upset.

"I just don't… I just don't want to die. I know I shouldn't be crying over this, but what that guy did… plus, he's me. He knows everything about me, and can use that knowledge at his advantage."

" That may be true, but that means you know everything he knows, too. You're not going to die, Link. You're stronger than you think you are. Hell, you're stronger than I am."

Link looked up at Linebeck. "I am?"

"Yes. Half the things you do would kill me in two seconds flat, and that's the plain truth."

Link smiled. Linebeck couldn't help himself and did too.

"I'm sorry for crying like that. I don't know what came over me." Link whispered, sniffing a little.

"It's okay. Feel better?" Link nodded and pulled away from the captain. He wiped his nose and eyes on his sleeves. "Now that's just nasty, kid," Linebeck said in disgust.

Link giggled and did it again.

"Okay, seriously. Stop it."

"Fine, fine. Shall we be going then?" Link turned around and marched towards the shop. Linebeck followed suit. They stopped in front of the shop and counted their money again. It looked more like a hut with a wooden decal of a pot on top, but a shop was a shop. When they were finished, they walked inside and were greeted by the owner, a young woman.

"Why hello there, boys!" She did a little bow. "Welcome! What do you need?"

"Hello. I'll take twenty arrows, five bombs, and a bottle of red potion, please." Link said, doing a little bow too.

"My my, aren't you the little warrior! That'll be one-hundred and fifty Rupees, boys." She said, gathering up their purchases.

Link waited for a moment, expecting Linebeck to hand him the fifty he needed. When he didn't, Link elbowed him in the side. Linebeck looked down at Link with a furrowed brow.

"Jeez kid, what was that for?"

Link held out his palm and cleared his throat.

"Oh, right. Here." He took out his wallet and gave Link the desired amount. He smiled at Linebeck, mouthing a thanks, and handed the woman the money.

"Thank-you! Come again, boys!" She warbled. The two nodded and walked out of the store.

"So, what next?" Link asked.

"I was going to go to the shipyard, but I realized that I already have the things that I wanted on the ship already."

"Like what?"

"Just things for cleaning, small parts, that kind of stuff. I must have short-term memory loss or something!" Linebeck chuckled.

"I bet you do!" They both started laughing so hard, a stern voice rang from the shop behind them.

"Could you two please keep it down out there? You're scaring away customers."

The pair shut-up and looked at each other, trying to hold in their laughter. They couldn't keep it in for long and burst out laughing even harder.

"I mean it, boys! Don't make me come out there!" Link had the urge to yell "who are you, my mother" but didn't. Instead he told Linebeck that they should get out of there, still giggling.

* * *

Back on the ship, Link handed Linebeck the potion as he went to the bedroom to put his other items away. The potion was put away in another cabinet labeled "Link's elixirs" for safe keeping. They didn't want it to break and get the closet ruined. When Link returned, they sat together at the kitchen table.

"So Link, any idea of when Sparkles was supposed to be back?"

Link bit his bottom lip in thought, thinking back to the day that she said she had to run errands for gramps. "Um, she said on Sunday."

"And what day is it today?"

"The tenth, Tuesday."

"Huh. She isn't looking for us, is she?"

"I don't think so. I told her that we would stay in the Southwestern waters close to The Isle of Ember, so it wouldn't take long for her to find us. I mean-"

Just then a squeaky voice shot through the ship, making both of the men almost jump out of their seats.

"You guys have some nerve to start sailing again before I got back!" Ciela's face was a bright red, practically steaming. "I mean, come on! I know you told me you would stay near The Isle of Ember, but you just had to start going without me! Gramps had a thing for me to do, and you guys almost lost me!"

Link and Linebeck just stared at each other during her rant.

"I thought I could trust you! And you, Linebeck. I have some nice words for you…" The two men didn't want to look her way. Link could clearly see Linebeck mouth the words "oh shit" and hunched down. "…But I don't think that saying them now will do any good." The two sighed in relief.

"Ciela, we're really sorry. We didn't know how far you would go and figured it was alright to leave. It won't happen again, I promise." Link said, turning his head to face the fairy. "You see, I've been, well…"

Linebeck finished for him. "The kid has been having some awful nightmares, and these aren't your regular ones. For the past couple of days since you left, the nightmares have been the same, his doppelganger threatening to kill him. Today his dream was different, and this time the guy choked Link. When he woke up, there were marks from where the guy's hands would have been, if this was done to his physical body. You follow?"

Ciela's jaw dropped. She shook her head and just sat there for a while.

"Basically, my doppelganger is out to kill me in my dreams and maybe in the real world. I can speak to him through my dreams, and perhaps harm him there too, like he can me."

"Okay okay, let me get this straight. You're saying you're being attacked by your doppelganger in your dreams."

"Correct."

"And this guy can harm your physical body by attacking you in the dream world."

"Yep."

"So how are you aiming to attack him?"

"By sleeping with my weapons on and bringing them with me into the dream world."

Ciela flew over to the table and sat in the middle in front of Link. "This is just the weirdest thing I have ever heard. Somehow though, I believe it."

"Good. If you want, Ciela, you can go into the bedroom and read my dream journal to get an idea, too."

"Alright then. See you in a bit!" She flew off in the direction of the hallway and into the open door of the bedroom.

"Well, wasn't that _fun_. We got yelled at for nothing, like always." Linebeck leaned back in his chair and put his arms behind his head.

"Linebeck, she had every right to yell. We messed up, and we paid for it. Be happy that she's back." Link said with a serious tone.

"Whatever. Might as well get dinner started." Linebeck sat up and trudged over to the counters." After dinner…" Linebeck halted, not wanting to go any further with his thought.

"After dinner, we begin the fight."

"We?" Linebeck turned around and cocked his head in confusion.

"Well, yeah. We're in this together, you Ciela, and I. We have each other's backs, right?"

Linebeck nodded slowly. "Right."


	3. Chapter 3

Linebeck turned towards the counter again. He opened the cabinet above him and removed a bag that held half of a loaf of bread. He bent down and opened the hatch on the icebox.

"We're going to have the last of the carrots and celery tonight for soup," he began. "Don't eat too much though, you won't be able to fall asleep." His voice was full of worry, and Link sensed it.

"Linebeck, is something wrong?" He got out of his chair and hurried to Linebeck's side, eager to cook.

"Nah, I'm just tired, that's all. It's been a long day. Anyway, can you set up the fire pit?"

"Sure." He got to work taking firewood and kindling from the pile and putting it on the deck to take outside. After the residents of Mercay received more and more sailors at the dock, they decided to put in a few fire pits to lessen the damage done by fires without any barriers. The fire pits weren't very far from the docks, just a short walk near the coastline.

Link ran back in, received the flint from Linebeck, and ran back outside. He hefted the wood and crept across the ramp onto the dock, trying not to trip and drop anything. The night air was chilly and sharp, and the stars shone brightly above him as he wandered by the coast. At the pit, he set the wood and kindling down. He picked up the flint from the top of the pile and inspected it.

"Do you remember how to use it?" Link jumped back and almost fell on the pile below.

"Jeez Linebeck, you scared me! Give me a little warning next time, okay?" Link gasped.

Linebeck chuckled, patting Link on the shoulder. "Sorry, kid. Anyway, do you remember how to use flint?"

"Yeah." He put the kindling into the bottom of the pit and struck the pieces of flint together, eventually creating a spark. He crouched down and blew on it gently, feeding the flame. After a time, he gradually increased the number and size of the pieces of wood he added until the flame was of the desired size.

"Good work. Step back now." Linebeck placed a large pot of the broth and vegetable mixture on the top of the pit. "Do you want to get Sparkles?"

"Yeah. Be right back." Link jogged back to the ship and into the kitchen. "Ciela, you in here?"

"Bedroom," a tiny voice called out.

Link walked into the bedroom and noticed Ciela flipping the pages of his journal.

"These are some freaky dreams. Anyway, do you need me?"

"Dinner is being made on the pit tonight. Do you wanna come out with us?"

"Sure." Ciela floated over to him and rested on his head. Link sauntered out of the ship and was greeted again by Linebeck.

"I see you got Sparkles to come out with us."

"Yep."

"Might as well kick-back until the soups done."

The two of them sat down next to each other, the fire not providing as much warmth as they desired. Ciela rose up and sat in the air as close to the fire as she could, all three slightly shivering.

"Ugh, on the day we decide to use the pit, it just has to be cold," Link complained. Sure, he was used to the cold, but he still didn't like it.

"…Do you want my coat?" Linebeck glanced over at Link, taking off his coat.

"I don't mind the cold too much. Keep it." Against Link's objections, Linebeck wrapped himself and Link up in the coat and moved closer to him, putting his arm around his shoulders.

"Thanks," Link mumbled. _He's being awfully nice to me. Is he worried about me or something?_

"Welcome."

Link's eyes fluttered a bit as he let out a big yawn.

"Sorry kid, but you're not falling asleep just yet. You still have to get your things after dinner."

"I know." He rested his arm on the captain's chest and pressed his head near his hand. Linebeck smiled warmly and pulled Link in. Ciela flew over to the two and sat on Link's head, the three of them enjoying the warmth of each other.

After a while, Linebeck rose and crept over to the fire, checking on the meal.

"Looks about ready. I'm going to get some bowls and spoons. Wait here." He walked to the ship and disappeared inside.

"Link, something seems… wrong to me about Linebeck. I don't know why, but it's like he's trying to keep something from us. Stress, maybe?"

"That's what I've been thinking. Whatever he's feeling, it's about tonight, for sure. I wish that I could convince him that nothing is going to happen me when I sleep."

"I wish so too. Ah, here he comes now."

Linebeck came back with two wooden bowls, three spoons, and a ladle. He handed one of the bowls and two spoons to Link and took the other set for himself. He dipped the ladle in the pot and took it to his mouth for a sip.

"Yep, it's ready. Dig in," Linebeck said, stepping back to let Link have the first bowl. Link sat up and moved over to the pot, picking up the ladle. He carefully dumped its contents into his bowl a few times and sat back down to eat, filling a separate spoon for Ciela. He raised the spoon up and let her drink. Once Linebeck had his bowl, he sat down next to the boy, staring at him feeding the fairy and himself at the same time.

"The soup is really good, Linebeck. It really warms you up!" Link complemented in-between sips.

"Glad to hear, kid."

* * *

Once finished, the three retreat back into the ship after putting out the flame, empty silverware in hand. With the things in the sink, Link and Linebeck went into the bedroom to get ready for the night. They grabbed their night-clothes and stood back to back as they undressed and dressed. They took their day-clothes and folded them up to wash later in the morning, placing them on the nightstand.

"Okay Ciela, you can come in now!" Link called out. The fairy rushed into the room and floated next to the men.

"…So, how is this going to work?" The fairy asked.

"We're going to let Link fall asleep like normal, but with his things on. Once he is asleep, we have to stay awake to keep an eye on his body. If the damage done to it becomes severe, we wake him up and keep him up. We're not going to risk his safety after that. Now Link, go get your things and put them on. Go grab a potion too."

Link nodded and swung open the doors to the closet, putting his sword on his back and hooking his shield to it after he put on his quiver. He removed his boomerang from the bottom of the closet and hooked that onto his shield. Then he sprinted out of the room and into the kitchen, opening up the cabinet labeled "Link's elixir" and took one of the bottles out, a purple one. _How am I supposed to take this with me without breaking it? I'm going to have to put on my belt and hook this onto it._ He turned around and returned to the bedroom.

"Uh, I'm going to have to put on my belt, too."

"Why?" Asked Linebeck.

"I can't put the bottle anywhere else, or I'll break it fighting. I need to hook it onto my belt."

"Fine, fine. Here." Linebeck handed Link his belt, and he put it nice and snug around his waist. _Its official, I look like an idiot. _Link hooked the bottle to the front of his belt.

"Now I'm ready, right?"

"Not yet."

Linebeck wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him for a few moments.

"Good luck, Link," Linebeck said with a twinge of sadness.

"Thanks." Linebeck released him and placed both of his hands on Link's shoulders.

"It's time."

Link nodded and crawled into the bed, not putting any blankets on himself. He lay flat on his back, wincing a little as his sheathed sword poked him in the back. Linebeck went over to a table where a candle was lit before so they could see. He blew out the candle, and the room fell into darkness. The only light was coming Ciela's bright frame. Linebeck felt his way back to the bed and sat down on its side, staring at the boy protectively. Ciela flew to the opposite side of Link and floated there, trying to illuminate as much of his body has she could. Link closed his eyes and took slow breaths through his nose. He wished he could get into a more comfortable position, but that would interfere with their plans. He needed to be flat with his arms out a little. This would make checking for any sign of injury easier. Finally, his breathing evened, and the two who watched him were sure that he was asleep.

* * *

The fog that surrounded the glassy world arrived again. Link felt his back and assured himself that he had everything he fell asleep with on.

"Heh heh. Seems you've figured out the tiny flaw in our predicament. By the way, that belt _really_ suits you!" The voice cackled.

"Reveal yourself, doppelganger. I'm not afraid of you." Link drew his sword and removed his shield.

"Whatever you want!" The figure appeared again, his arms folded over his chest. "But do you really want to fight me? You won't wake up either way…"

"You're pretty sure of yourself… er… is there anything I can…uh…" Link scratched the back of his head.

"Seriously? Just call me anything you want. Like I really give two shits."

"Fine then, Shadow. I've drawn my blade…" Link got into a fighting stance, grinning. "…Now draw yours."

As if on command, Shadow drew his blade and rushed towards Link with the blade pointed in front of him, ready to stab. As he got close, Link jumped sideways and watched Shadow fly past him. He stopped himself in his tracks and crept towards Link, standing in front of him.

"Like that's going to work. I'm used to surprise attacks like that."

"Hmph."

The two raised their blades and struck them together in mid-air.

"A good, clean fight. No tricks, just your wits and smarts." Link said, staring at Shadow clean in the eyes. "If at any moment either of us wishes to stop for a minute, then we shall. We will not be barbarians about this. Shall we begin?"

"Ah, we've already started."

They slowly brought their blades down and inched backwards. The fight began with Shadow running in and doing a vertical slash. Link blocked this with his shield, then did a horizontal slash that nicked Shadow's tunic. Anger washed over Link's counterpart as he did a combo of vertical and horizontal slashes. Link put his shield up, but the swift kick of Shadow's foot brought it down, letting him get a good cut across Link's chest.

"Gah!"

"Does that hurt, hero?"

"Not at all!"

Their fighting continued, With Link getting more beat-up than Shadow was.

* * *

"Linebeck! Link just got cut again!" Ciela shrieked, flying over to the new wound.

"I got it, Sparkles. He's okay for now."

More wounds appeared on his arms, and a deep gash on his leg. As a reaction to this, Link's body twitched. Something was keeping him from waking up.

"Lineb-" Ciela began, but was interrupted by Linebeck.

"I know!" Linebeck got to work, warpping Link's leg in a bandage. "I'm not waking him up until I see something worse than that, fairy."

"Fine!"

For a few minutes, no wounds appeared. Linebeck and Ciela rested, but still kept their eyes on Link's body.

"He must be winning!" Ciela exclaimed.

"Or they might be taking a break, who knows."

A new wound appeared on Link's cheek, and the two quickly jumped to work again.

* * *

Link staggered and almost fell down, the gash on his leg paining him severely. Even with the appearance of bandages, the pain didn't disappear. He rubbed his cheek and looked at his hand, smeared with blood. Link looked up just in time to dodge another one of Shadow's jumping attacks. He rolled around him, ready to do a parry. Link sprung up and struck the desired spot: Shadow's back. Shadow yowled in pain. Link laughed, something he usually didn't do.

"Now you know how I feel, Shadow!" Link teased through gritted teeth. He was tempted to drink the potion on his belt, but he willed himself not to.

"Th- this doesn't hu- hurt at all! Shadow shuddered as he almost tripped over himself. "This is n- nothing!" Shadow fell onto his side, hissing from the pain in his back.

Link felt a little bad for Shadow. He wasn't going to give up. Link had to practically force him to take a break so Linebeck could bandage him up back in the real world. Link frowned and slowly crept over to Shadow, still in a defending stance. He knew his tricks.

"…Are you okay? We can take a break again, you know." Link stood a little far back from Shadow. If he got too close, he could be struck in the leg again.

"I don't need your sympathy! Get out of my face!"

"Jeez, Shadow, you don't have to yell."

"You can treat me as nicely as you want, but in the end, one of us is going to be dead, and all that niceness will be wasted." Shadow groaned and turned to his other side, not wanting to look at the boy in front of him.

"So? That's common courtesy. I don't attack every enemy I see, unless I have too." Link sat down and propped his injured leg up, assured that Shadow wasn't going to strike anytime soon. "Anyway, how did you get in my dreams?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I asked."

Shadow shuddered again and turned over to face Link. "…A mishap with the Dark Mirror."

"The what?"

"Agh… the Dark Mirror is a portal from the Dark World, where I live, and the Light World, where you live. I kinda watched you through it. From the start, I hated your guts. I wanted to end your smiling. When I tried using the Dark Mirror for the first time, I got stuck in the Realm of Dreams, the place between the Dark and Light Worlds. When you have a nightmare, it's basically some shadow beast that got stuck in the Realm of Dreams. On the day that you first started having dreams about me, that's when I got stuck. It was fun toying with you there, but when I realized that I could never get back to either world, I…"

"You got scared and started to act tough. The truth was that you wanted something to do, and you started tormenting me through my dreams. When you realized that we had to fight, you hurt me, convincing me that I should bring my weapons with me into the Realm of Dreams."

"You're smarter than you look. You see, once a shadow being gets stuck inside the Realm of Dreams, they can never return back to either world, like I said before. Knowing this, the being has two choices: waiting out their lives inside the Realm of Dreams, or killing themselves. Light beings such as yourself can go into the Realm of Dreams, and safely return when they wake up. Me? I can never wake up."

"…So, which one did you consider choosing?"

"I don't know. I tried doing myself in once, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Agh… I'm a fucking pansy. Why am I telling you this, anyway? Once we start up again, one of us is going to die."

"You always go back to the 'one of us is going to die' thing. Lighten up." Link shifted his leg and drew a sharp breath. "By the way, the whole 'keeping the balance of the world' thing was a lie, right?"

"Yes and no. If I made it into your world, then the balance would be disrupted until one of us dies, and that's what I wanted. Since I'm stuck here, we're technically not together in the same world. In fact, this realm is not a world, but a mixture of both the Light and Dark Worlds."

"So I don't have to kill you?"

Shadow's head jolted up, and his eyes widened. "What?"

"I said, so I don't have to kill you. Since you said that we are not in the same world, just in a realm that has both light and dark in it, then we don't need to kill each other. You made up this entire lie just so that you could kill me."

"I made up the lie… I made it up because I couldn't stand living in this place. It's literally Hell. I wanted you to…" Shadow's face scrunched up, and Link couldn't tell if it was out of pain or sadness. When he saw the glimmer of a stray tear, he knew.

"You want me to kill you so that you can get out of this place."

"…Yeah."

Link crawled over to Shadow and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Shadow, I don't want to do this, but I can. I can get you out of here."

"Do it quickly."

"I will. Can you stand up?"

Shadow tried standing up as a bolt of pain shot through his back. He screamed and fell back down on his back.

"No, I can't." Shadow began to cry.

"Shadow… don't start. This is hard enough as it is."

"How is it hard? You killed thousands of monsters before me, and you didn't feel bad about _them_!"

"That's because they _wanted_ to kill me. Whenever I had to sleep inside a temple, they sometimes found me and right then and there they beat me until I woke up. Monsters don't have feelings."

"Yeah, we don't, do we?"

"I don't consider you a monster. At least, not anymore. You have feelings, not just a motive or orders told to you by a greater force."

"Alright, I get it. Now please, please get on with it." Shadow stared up at what would be the sky and outstretched his arms. Link stood up, winced at the pain in his leg, and drew out his blade.

"Before I begin, do you want to say anything?"

"…Thank-you. Now please, quick and painless. "

"Alright. I'm going for your throat."

"Okay."

Shadow closed his eyes for the last time.

* * *

After the deed was done, a light surrounded Link and Shadow's body. Shadow's body faded into the light as the world around Link grew dark. He could hear faint voices that grew louder every second until he finally awoke.

"Finally! I thought something happened to you!" Linebeck exclaimed as he re-did Link's leg bandage.

"Did you get him?" Ciela asked, flying around Link's frame.

"Yeah, but I didn't like it."

"Why?" The two said in unison.

"Because, the truth is, he never wanted to kill me. He wanted me to kill him."

The other two sat there, mouths agape.

"He wanted me to do this because he used this thing called the Dark Mirror, a portal from the Dark World into the Light World. He got stuck in the center, the Realm of Dreams. Once a Dark World being is stuck there, it cannot leave. He or she can either live there for the rest of their lives, or kill themselves. He tried doing the latter and failed. He created the lie of 'once we meet, one has to die to restore balance' in hopes of me killing him. That failed too, and after a long chat…"

"Okay kid. I think we know what happens next. Now c'mon. Let's get you cleaned up." Linebeck picked Link up from the bed and to the privy where a bath waited for him.

"I'll let you clean yourself. Afterwards, I'm going to clean your wounds, and you can go back to sleep."

"Okay."

* * *

After Link bathed and Linebeck cleaned his wounds, he was carried by Linebeck into the bedroom and set him down on the bed. He tucked him in and wished him a good night, blew out the candle, and walked out of the room. Link closed his eyes and slept. The dream he had that night had no dark figures or a glassy world, but just something indescribable to him. He heard a voice in that dream, too. A voice that spoke to him about another world beyond the waking and even the living world. Link smiled in his sleep for the first time in days.


End file.
